Retail store and checkstand apparatus



START OF"-"'P'.1'T.0. BOX- log/(Q L! LAXSTADSOCUMENT' THIS PAGE DO NOT INDEX! THIS PAGE Do NOT scANu Batch Control July 22, 1952 F. G.,MEYER 2,604,190

RETAIL STORE AND CHECKSTAND APPARATUS Filed May 17, 1949 '2'SI-XEETSS!-IEET 2 Z 7 o J? mum 40 INVENTOR. FED 5'. MEyEr' Patented July 22, 1952 a RETAIL. stromi. AND CHECKSTAND APPARATUS v Fred G. Meyer, Portland, Oreg'.

- Application May 17, 1949, Serial No. 93,703

I 5 Claims.

The present invention comprises an improvew ment in retail stores .of the selfservice type wherein customers use basket taxis to carry their purchases to a checkers stand. The principal object of the present invention is to increase the efliciency of operating personnel and to increase the number of customers which may be handled at one checkers stand. in a given period of time. The invention wa's inspired by observing that the volume of business done in a retail store of this type depended toga large extent upon the speed of movement of the customers past the checkers stand duringrush hours; Efficient and highly trained personnel are able'to handle a certain number .oflcustcmers per hour with given equipment, but this number may be mate'- rially increased .jif Qthe arrangement of the checker's stand andirelatedequipment is improved in accordance with myinvention.

In retail stores of this'character it is common to employ basket taxis comprising carriages-surmounted by a basket in which a number of articles of merchandise maybe placed. In order to increase the number of; basket taxis which may be placed about the store there have been developed nesting basket taxis comprising a carriage having four wheels, the front pair of wheels being connected by a transverseframe or axle, but the space between the'rear pair of wheels being open so that the carriage of a succeeding taxi may nest within .the carriage of a previous taxi; likewise, the basket is provided with a hinged rear wall and-the basket itself tapers forwardly so that witlmaynest into the basket of another taxi. I With such devices alarge number of taxis may be made availableso thata large number of customers may each have a basket, which greatly increases the turnover of merchandise. However, it is'no't sufiicient merely to make it easy for customers to carry their goods to the checking stand if they are required to wait long periods of time for. thefchecker to itemize the bill, add the total andmake change, sack the merchandise anddispose of the taxi. Even if the checkstand operator has an assistantto place the merchandisein bagsjit has been my observation that more custom'ersmay arrive at a given checkstand than the two operators can-handle smoothly if they have to manipulate the empty taxis away from the checkstand. The present invention is designed to increase the efficiency oi the checkstand operator, or of the ,pchecker and sacker, by providing means ','forautomatically disposing of the emptytaxi's as soon as thel'last article has been removed therefrom, The pres;

the checkers or helpers when he has free time:

following drawings whereinf v Fig. '1 is a plan-view -of' a portion oft -a retail store arrangedfin ,ac'eordance 'with the presentinvention;

Fig. 2 is a vertica1section-takensubstantially2 along line 2-2 of Figl l-j Fig. 3 is a vertical"seetigin' taken substantially? along line 3+3 of Fi'gQl-and illustrating a'phase i of operation of the present invention;

Fig. 4 is a partial horizontal Fig; 5 is a vertical "Searc taken along 1 line The invention is illustrated as arranged in a retail store comprising a -general'floor {area Hi," preferably on a"comr nonleve1 so that taxis .may i be operated between the aisles of merchandise.

The checkstands are-preferably arranged in a: row adjacent the exit -from the s'tore,'-'e'ach of the";

areas'surrounding a checkstandbeing defined by a pair of partitions l I. Between each-pair par titions H the space is divided into three areas; first, the checkstandoperatorsaisle l2,'then"a taxi parking'area' l3,. andfthenacus'tomers aisle I4 Theaisles I2 and. I4 are preferably on-a level 1 with the general lfloor but'the taxi-parking are'af I3 is preferably Qat'a lower'level' than that'o'f the f general store. V In the present illustration the taxiparking areais providedfb y a shallow pit having a ramp {5 atjthe exit end so that-nested taxis may be removed; fromfthe pit" easily. It is to be appreciated that insom'e s'toresit'might be}; more convenient to' have the taxi parking" reaterminatefin an areaofthe same" level as the bottom of the pit, sojthaftit; would be easier to remove the taxis therefrom. 'Inaccordan'ee with-" my invention the aisle is'preferably' blocked ent invention comprises means for parkinga' plurality of nested taxis beneath the checkerstable, from which position they may be removed from time to time by 'a taxi operatoror" one: of"

section. on enlarged scale} taken sub'stantially along" line."

by a checkstand table H, the back portion of which is defined by a low Wall l8 which is solid so as to prevent customers from reaching beneath the table and disturbing the nested taxis thereunder. The leading edge of wall 18 preferably projects beyond the front edge of the table 11, as seen in Fig. 2, so as to define the entrance to the basket *taxi parking pit [3. A customer wheeling a taxi from the general store area is directed to roll his taxi onto a platform 2B at the entering end of pit l3 and then step into the aisle [4 opposite the table I! while his merchandise is being checked and bagged, at which position he may pay his bill and receive his change.

The platform 20 is preferably pivotallymoimted at its front edge upon a portion of an angle bar 21 defining the upper edge of the .pit l3. 'The forward edge of the platform 20 is near a vertical plane passing through the forward edge of the table II, and platform 20 is of such sizethat a.

basket taxi may be parkedthereon as seen in Fig. 2. The platform is preferably arranged level with the general floor area and the height of table I! is preferablysuch that theleading edge of the basket portion of a taxi engages the table when the taxi is rolled onto the platform. When a taxiisin this position the checkstand operator may remove articlesfrorn the basket with his left hand while operating the cash register with his righthand. The articles may be own accord. The pit is of such length that a number of taxis may be nested'beneath the table. I

In order to reduce frictional resistance to forward movement of the taxi, the side walls of the pit are preferably lined by a plurality of vertical rollers 22 adapted to engage the. carriage sides. The taxis so parked beneath the table may not be disturbed by the customers, but the side of the table facing the aisle I2 is preferably open so that a plurality of taxis nested in the pit may be removed at one time.

.A preferred form of mechanismfor operating the platform 20 and details of a preferred form of platformare set forth in Figs. 4 and 5. In these views it may be seen that the platform 20 is connected to the angle bar 21 through the.

medium of hinges 25. The platform is controlled by a linkage including a pair of upright arms,

26 terminating in rollers .21 which engage the lower surface of the free end of the platform. The arms 26 are mountedupon a cross rod 28 pivotally retained in bearings 29 mounted upon a pair ofshort footing members 30. The rod 28 is rocked by a first portion of the control linkage including a crank 3|, a link 32 extending beneath the end of the table, a link 33, and an operating lever 34 terminating preferably in a foot pedal 53 accessible to either the cashier or his helper. portion which extends beyond the rod 28, comprising a link 36 connected to one of the upright arms 26 and to a crank 31 extending from a seoondcross rod 38 mounted in bearings '39 The linkage includes a second I footing members 30. An arm 4! rigidly connected to the rod 38 supports a barricade or blocking member 42 which normally rests beneath the level of platform 20, but which may be projected upwardly through a slot 43 in the platform to the position illustrated in Fig. 3. The linkage is retained in its normal position, illustrated in Figs. 2 and 5, by a spring 45 tensioned between a short 'arm 4B-rigidly mounted on rod 38 and an ear 41 mounted on a brace 48 extending between the members 30. When the pedal 35 is depressed the rollers 21 are swung rearwardly, thus permitting the platform to tip forwardly into the pit. At the same time link 36 moves rearwardly to project the barricade 42 upwardly through the slot 43 to the position illustrated in Fig. 3. This action stretches spring v 45 so that upon release of pressure the mechanism is returned to its normal position.

The operation of the linkage causes the platform to tip downwardly, thus inclining the basket taxi and causing it to roll forward beneath the] table II. At the sametime the barricade or of'the basket taxi carriage, thus preventing 'a succeeding taxi from being pushed onto the platform until the platform has returned to its normal position. It will be appreciated that. the? form, shape and size of the platform and of the barricade may vary to permit forms of basket taxis.

Having illustrated and described a preferred embodiment of the invention, it should be apparent to those skilled in the art thatthe ine vention permits ofmodification in arrangement I-claim as my invention all such and details. modifications as come within the true spirit and scope of the appended claims. I claim: p k 1. In a retail storp ya table, means defining a pit beneath said table'ofsuch'width asto be capable of receiving basket taxis therein, said pit extending beyondsaid'tab1e in the direction from which taxis arrive, a' movable platform mounted in the extending end of said pit, the

height of said table above said platform beingj' such that basket taxis moved'onto said plat] form are arrested by, engagement with said table,

and platform controlling means for depressing said platform whereby basket taxis may be prof pelled forwardly into said pit.

2. In a retail store, a checkstand table, means defining a pit beneath saidflcheckstand table,

said pit extending beyond said checkstand table in the direction from which taxis arrive, a mov-' able platform mounted in theextending portion of said pit, said platform being'arran'ged at floor level so that basket taxis may be manipulated thereonto and the height of said checkstand table above said platform being such that basket taxisl moved onto said platform may be arrested by engagement with the 'end' of said checkstand table, and'platform controlling means includ-f ing a level accessible" to the checkstand operator for depressing said platform whereby baskettaxis may be propelled forwardly into said pit beneath said checkstand.

3. Ina retail store, a checkst and table, means; defining a pit beneath said checkstand table;

saidv pit extending beyond said checkstand table in the direction from which taxis arrive, a pivot ally :mounted platform in the extending portion of said pit, said platform being arranged at floor level so that basket taxis may be manipulated the use of various thereonto and the height of said checkstand table above said platform being such that basket taxis moved onto said platform are normally arrested by engagement of an upper portion thereof with with the end of said checkstand table, and platform tilting means under control of the checkstand operator whereby said platform may be tilted into said pit to cause a taxi thereon to roll into said pit.

4. In a retail store, a checkstand table, means defining an elongated, shallow pit beneath said table of such Width as to be capable of receiving basket taxis therein, said pit extending beyond said table in the direction from which taxis arrive, a platform pivotally mounted at the extending end of said pit, said platform being normally level with the floor surface so that basket taxis may be manipulated thereonto and being so pivoted as to be capable of tilting intosaid pit to provide a ramp leading thereinto, platform tilting means for tilting said platform whereby a basket taxi thereon may be caused to roll forwardly into said pit, and taxi blocking means interconnected with said tilting means to be projected above said platform when said platform is tilted in order to block movement of a succeeding taxi onto said platform until said platform returns to its normal position.

5. In a retail store, a table, means defining a pit extending beneath said table, said table and said pit defining a space through which basket taxis may be propelled, a platform pivotally mounted in one end of said pit, said table being so arranged with respect to said platform that a basket taxi may be propelled onto said platform and said table including a portion engaging said basket taxi to prevent the taxi from being propelled off the end of said platform into said pit when the platform is level, a manually operable linkage associated with said platform for tilting the platform into said pit whereby a taxi thereon may be disengaged from said table and caused to roll into said pit, a barricade movably associated with said platform, and barricade operating means connected to said linkage for moving said barricade into position to prevent a succeeding taxi from being rolled onto said platform until said platform is returned to a level position.

FRED G. MEYER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,021,876 Lister Apr. 2, 1912 1,325,167 Olson Dec. 16, 1919 2,292,821 Caulkins Aug. 11, 1942 2,317,438 Bradley Apr. 27, 1943 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 10,944 Sweden Jan. 28, 1929 

